Closure cap for bottles, jars, and other receptacles



p 1943- I G. GLO'CKER 2,330,046 R CLOSURE CAP FOR BOTTLES, JARS, ANDOTHER RECEPTACIQES Filed May 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gus 7711/5 64 oCKER p 94 ca. GLOCKER 2,330,046

1 CLOSURE CAP FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER REGEPTACLES Filed May l, 19402'SheetsSheet- 2 VIIIIIII" Gas 7/; l,/ 64 acme-2 Patented Sept. 21, 1943UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i I 2,330,046

oLosuaa oar roa nor'rmarans, AND o'rmm REOEPTAGLES Application May 1,1940, Serial No. 332,838

4 Claims.

This invention relates to closure caps for bottles, jars, and otherreceptacles or containers.

More specifically, the invention relates to a closure cap which maybeeasily removed from a ontai e hermet a y sealed thereby, and which maybe removed in such condition as to pemiit the repeated reuse of the cap.

The closure caps in common use today extend over the mouth of acontainer, and seat at the periphery thereof a deformable sealing gasketwhich is adapted to contact the outer surface of a container in sealingengagement whereby the container may be hermetically sealed andmaintainedv in sealed condition solely by atmospheric pressure. When theair from the interior of the container has been at least partiallyevacuated, the removal of the conventional closure cap becomes diflicultwithout mutilating the cap, the

sealing gasket, or both, so badly that the reuse oi the cap becomesimpossible. It is an object 2 of this invention to provide a closure capwhich may be removed from the container with great ease and without themutilation of either the cap itself, or the sealing gasket. It is theconstruction which permits such easy removal that constitutes thepresent invention.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent froma reading of this specification in view of the drawings forming a partthereof, in which drawings like reference numerals indicate lik parts,and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the closure cap embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the cap; Figure3 is a verticalcross-sectional view of the Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional viewof the cap taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary'vertical cross-sectional view on an enlargedscale showing the cap seated on the mouth of a container;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on aline corresponding to line 4-4 of Figure 1, and showing the closureseated on a container;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the manner in which apiercing tool may be used to vent the" container prior to the removal ofthe closure;

Figure 8 is a plan view of a modified form of closure cap which embodiesthe invention;

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of the modified construction; s

Figure l0 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view on an enlargedscale showing the cap seated on the mouth of the container; A

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on aline corresponding to line HII of Figure 8, and shows the closure seatedon a container; and

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the manner in which apiercing tool may be used to vent the container prior to the removal ofthe closure.

The closure l0 includes a top portion l2 which is adapted to lie incontact with the lip It at the mouth of a container IS. The top portionl2 of the closure is so formed as to extend o the outer periphery of thecontainer It at the mouth thereof. An annular channel It is formed aboutthe edge of the top 12 and this channel I8 extends upwardly from the topportion I2.

In the channel I8 is an annular deformable sealing gasket 20 having oneedge 22 seated therein. Th inner surface of the sealing gasket 20 isadapted to contact the outer surface of the container in theneighborhood of the mouth thereof in sealing engagement.

A skirt 24 depends from the outer wall of the channel It and this skirtis adapted to support the outer surface of the sealing gasket. At thetop of the skirt where it joins the outer wall of the channel l8 thereis provided a passage 26 which extends therethrough.

The passage '26 through the top of skirt 2B is directly opposite aradial channel 28 which communicates with the annular channel 22 andwhich is in alignment with the passage 26. The arrangement of thepassage 26 in the skirt 24 at the outer side of the sealing gasket 20and the radial passage 28 atthe irmer side of the sealing gasket 20,permit a piercing tool to be moved through the side of the closure to apoint beyond the wall of the container l6, thereby venting the interiorof the sealed container to the atmosphere. Such venting operation may beaccomplished by means of a suitable piercing tool 30 which is preferablyconstructed in accordance with the teaching of my Patent No. 2,187,395.

It is desirable that the gasket 22 be firmly seated in the annularchannel l8, and it is particularly desirable that such firm seating besecured in the zone of the piercing passage 26, and the radial channel28. The connection between the sealing gasket 22 and the annular channell8, particularly in the zone of the piercing passage 26, should besufficiently air tight to prevent leakage of atmosphere into thecontainer at this point. For the purpose of securing a tight joint, thegasket 20 may be cemented into the channel It or a joint may be securedby crimping the walls of the channel l8 into the sealing gasket as-shownat 32. It is also desirable to seat the outer end of the sealing gasketfirmly in the annular channel l8 throughout the annular extent thereof,and such seating may be accomplished by assembling the gasket with theclosure and crimping the walls of the channel l8 inwardly throughout theentire annular extent thereof.

In order to further insure a tight connection between the annularchannel l8 and the sealing gasket 20 at the zone of the piercing opening23, it will be noted that the radial channel 28 which extends upwardlyfrom the plane of the top portion I2 is not extended upwardly however,to the-full height of the annular channel 18, but terminates below thetop, as more particularly shown in Figure 6, so that a proper support isformed at the inside of .the outer end 22 of the sealing member 20 evenat the outer end of the radial channel 28.

The invention is applicable to closures made of moldable material, butits most obvious utility will be found in metal constructions whereinthe closure may be formed by simple stamping operations. The inventionmay be applied to closures adapted for use with various types of bottlesand jars. In Figure 5 is shown a jar having a projecting shoulder 34below the mouth thereof and having a bead 36 formed externally thereofabove the shoulder 34. Closures for this type of container may be soconstructed that the lower end 38 of the sealing gasket is adapted tocontact the shoulder 34 thereby aiding the sealing function. Other jarsthat commonly require closures of this type are formed with only a head36 below the mouth thereof, and for this type of jar, the closure may beprovided with an inturned flange 40 at the lower extremity of the skirt24 and this flange may be so fashioned as to embrace the outer end 38 ofthe sealing gasket.

In Figures 8 to 12 is illustrated a modified form of closure cap whichembodies the primary invention, and which differs from the constructionhereinabove described principally in the elimination of the annularmarginal channel. In this modified construction the closure l includesthe top portion I2 which is not only adapted to lie in contact with thelip I4 at the mouth of the container l8, butextendssufiiciently beyondthe lip i 4 of the container to provide space for the annular-deformablesealing gasket 20. In order to provide the necessary space for thesealing gasket 20 and to provide support therefor at its outer surface,the skirt 24 is formed at the periphery of the top portion l2 anddepends therefrom a sufficient distance to embrace the sealing member20.

In order to provide passage for a sealing member piercing tool, there isprovided a radial channel 28 which communicates with a passage 26 formedin the inner wall thereof. Thealigned arrangement of the passage 26 inthe skirt 24 at the outer side of the sealing gasket 20 and theradialpassage 28 at the inner side of the sealing gasket 20, permits apiercing tool to be moved through the side of the closure to a pointbeyond the wall of the container l6 for the purpose of venting theinterior of the sealed container to the.

in Figure 12 of the drawings, and may be-of thekind described in myabove mentioned patent.

Prior to the application of the closure In to the container II, theupper end of the sealing gasket 20 is in abutment with the top portionl2 of the closure and the sealing member 20 does not extend into theradial channel 28. However, upon the application of the requiredpressure to bring the closure into sealing engagement with thecontainer, the relatively free flowing characteristic of the deformablesealing member 20 permits the upper end thereof to expand into theradial channel 28, thereby forming an eflective seal over the passage28. If desired, the

sealing member may be formed with an upwardly projecting nub ofsuch sizeand shape as 15 to contact the walls defining the radial passage 28. Aconstruction in accordance with this suggestion would further insure aperfect seal in the neighborhood of the passage 28 and the channel 28. I

Various modifications may be embodied in the practice of the invention,and uch modifications fall within the scope of this invention as definedby the spirit of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A container having a mouth, a closure therefor including a thin topportion adapted to lie in contact with the lips of said container atsaid mouth and extend to the outer periphery thereof, an annular channelformed about the edge 30 of said top and extending upwardly therefrom,

an annular deformable sealing gasket seated at one edge thereof in saidchannel and having an inner surface adapted to contact the outer surfaceof said container in sealing engagement, a skirt depending from theouter wall of said channel and being adapted to support the outersurface of said sealing gasket, a passage extending through the upperportion of said skirt at a point above the plane of said top, and aportion 4" of said top being deformed upwardly to form a channel abovethe plane of said top, said channel being disposed radially from saidannular channel and in alignment with said passage whereby a piercingtool may be moved through 5 the side of said closure to a point beyondthe I wall of said container.

2. A container having a mouth, a closure therefor including a thin topportion adapted to lie in contact with the lips of said container atsaid mouth and extend to the outer periphery thereof, an annular channelformed about the edge of said top and extending upwardly therefrom, anannular deformable sealing gasket seated at oneedge thereof insaid'channel and having an inner surface adapted to contact the outersurface of said container insealing engagement, a skirt depending fromtheouter wall of said channel and being adapted to support the outer Isurface of said sealing gasket, a passage extendoo ing through the upperportion of said skirt at a point above the plane of said top, and aportion of said top being deformed upwardly to form a channel above theplane of said top but below the top of said annular channel, saidchannel being 65 disposed radially from said annular channel and inahgnment with said passage whereby a piercing tool may be moved throughthe side of said closure to a point beyond the wall of said container.7o- 3. A container closure including a thin top portion adapted to liein contact with the lips of a container mouth and extenclto the outerperiphery thereof, an annular channel formed about the edge of said topand extending upwardly therefrom, a skirt depending from the outer wallof said channel, a passage extending through the upper portion of saidskirt at a point above the plane of said top, and a portion of said topbeing deformed upwardly to form a channel in said top above the generalplane thereof and lying within the plane defined bysaid upwardlyextending angular channel, said second named channel being disposedradially from said annular channel and in alignment with said passage,and an annular deformable sealing gasket having one edge thereof fixedin said annular channel.

4. A container closure including a thin top portion adapted to lie incontact with the lips of a container mouth and extend to the outerperiphery thereof, an annular channel formed about the edge of said topand extending upwardly therefrom, a skirt depending from the outer wallof said channel, a passage extending through the upper portion of saidskirt at a point above the plane of said top, a portion of said topbeing deformed upwardly to form a channel GUSTAVE GLOCK'ER.

